2015: Dents and intents on Jonathan’s way

Only few may have been taken unawares with President Goodluck Jonathan’s declaration for a second term penultimate Tuesday. However, the positives and challenges on his track are formidable.

The president was quick to admit it that even though he has done much but that much more is required to take Nigeria to its desired position in the comity of nations.

Whether coincidental or a deliberate act to stop his declaration, on the eve of the event penultimate Monday, elements reportedly inclined to the militant Islamic Boko Haram group bombed a Government Secondary School in Potiskum, Yobe State causing the death of more than 45 school children.

It was another tragic decimal in the recurring attacks that have been clearly directed at clouding whatever positive steps of the administration. But was that enough to stop the president and his supporters from stepping out the following day to celebrate the achievements of the administration? It was a question that quickly turned political.

The president’s supporters claimed that aborting the long planned event would mean giving in to terrorism, a position that was attacked by the main opposition party, the All Progressives Congress, APC.

However, as he pushed forward his intention to seek re-election that fateful day, the president was not oblivious of the challenges and issues before him. Having observed a one minute silence in memory of the dead school children, the president proceeded to list out his initiative to soothe the pains of citizens mostly in the Northeast that have borne the brunt of the militants.